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(No Model.)

B. S. BOYNTON. GAME APPARATUS.

No. 450,395. Patented Apr. 14,1891.

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- A 3 V E N TO R W .KJ WITNESSES WM By c .dttorney.

THE NORRKS ravens 00., wommmm, msmuorcu, o. c.

box divided into unequal NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDlVARD S. BOYNTON, OF BROOKLYN, ASSIGN OR TO MCLOUGHLIN BROTHERS, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

GAME APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 450,395, dated April 14, 1891. Application filed November 1, 1890. Serial No. 370,077. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

die it known that I, EDWARD S. BOYNTON, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Brooklyn, Kings county, New York, have invented an Improved Game Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to the class of game apparatuses wherein magnets form an element; and the object is to introduce into the game an element of chance arising from the inability of the player to distinguish by sight or touch the north pole from the south pole of the magnet.

In the accompanying drawings I have shown my-lnvention embodied in an angling game, which will be described.

Figures 1, 2, and 3 represent certain of the pieces employed, simulating fishes; and Fig. 4 represents one of the smaller pieces employed, which also simulates a fish. Fig. 5 represents one of the magnets employed in the game. Fig. 6 represents the manner of playing the game.

The game may be played on an ordinary table; but I prefer to employ a game-boardsuch as A in Fig. 6-which may bea shallow parts by a partition w. The larger part A is called a fish-pond, and the smaller part A is called a bait-pond. The pieces a, as herein represented, simulate large fishes, and the pieces bsimulate smaller fishes, called bait. These may be cut from card-board or other thin and light material, and each one will have attached to it a permanent magnet m. The magnet m may be attached to the card-board on the back or obverse side of the piece, as shown in Fig. 3that is, by pasting over it a strip of paper of. Fig. 3 represents the obverse side of the piece seen in Fig. 2.

The letters N S in the several figures designate the two poles of the magnets.

In Figs. 5 and 6 is shown a straight permanent magnet c, which is denominated a fishing or angling rod.

The number of pieces a employed in the game is arbitrary; but there should be at least eight or ten. About one-half of these larger pieces will have only the north pole of the affixed magnet on projecting into view, and the other half or portion will have only thesouth pole thereof projecting; but as the pieces a will be all alike or substantially alike the player will not be able to distinguish by sight one from the other, and cannot tell which have the north pole and which the south pole of the magnet m exposed at the fishs mouth.

The smaller fishes or pieces I) will be provided with magnets m, arranged in the same manner as described with reference to the larger fishes a.

The player is not able to tell by sight which is the north pole and which the south pole of the straight magnet c. There may be as many of these magnets as there are players, or more. The number is not essential.

The game is played in the following manner: The pieces a are scattered over the board A in a promiscuous manner, and the pieces I) are scattered over the board A in a similar way. Each player now picks up a magnet c,

and me first player proceeds to bait his line by applying one pole of his magnet c to the magnet m, projecting from the mouth of one of the fishes b. If it so happens that the meeting poles are of different letters N and S, then the bait will be caught, and he lifts it off the board, removes it, and proceeds to angle. He now applies one pole of his magnet 0 to the magnet m, which projects from the mouth of one of the larger fishes a, and if it so happens that the meeting poles are of diflferent letters N and S, the piece a will adhere and he lifts. it out. The player continues to angle as long as he is successful; but if he shall apply one pole of his magnet c to the exposed pole of a magnet m on a fish or piece, whether it be a smaller fish b or a larger fish a, and the meeting poles are of the same polarity as N N or S S, then the one will repel the other and he fails to catch. He then retires and the other player takes his turn at angling. The number of fish caught by the respective players decides the game, or' the pieces a may have numbers marked on their obverse sides which count for game, as in other games of angling.

The inability of the players to determine by sight the polarity of the poles of the magnets renders the game one solely governed by chance.

The north pole of the magnet 0 might be marked so that it could be distinguished from the south pole thereof, and the game would still be one of chance. If the pieces a were all alike in appearance and the pieces b also all alike, or the magnetscmay remain unmarked and the pieces be of different forms, kinds, or colors, so that the player can distinguish one from the other, then the game would still be one of chance.

It is not essential, of course, that the pieces shall simulate fishes, nor that the smaller fishes Z) shall be employed to represent bait; but these enhance the interest of the game. The essential feature is that the piece, whatever it may simulate, shall have aifixed to it a permanent magnet, one pole of which shall be exposed, and that the instrument 0 shall also be a permanent magnet. It is not absolutely essential that the magnet m shall have only one of its poles exposed, but I prefer to so affix them to the pieces; and it is not absolutely essential that the players magnet 0 shall be straight, but its poles should be so far separated that a dishonest player cannot shift the magnet in his hand Without being observed.

Having thus described my invention, I cla1m special forms, as that of fishes, for example,

each of said pieces having affixed to ita per- ,manent magnet with widely-separated poles, somef having the north pole and others the south pole the more conspicuously exposed, substantially as set forth.

2. A game apparatus consisting of a players magnet 0, having widely-separated poles, and

twoor more pieces, each having affixed to it 40 ;manent magnet with widely-separated poles,

one pole of the magnet being exposed at the head of each figure, substantially as set forth.

In Witness whereof I have hereunto signed my name in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.-

EDWARD S. BOYNTON.

Witnesses:

HENRY OoNNE'rT, ERNEST W. STUART. 

